The National tribune., 1887-01-06
HAPPY NEW YEAR,

TRIBUNE q Happy New Year! Webster,
defining the word happiness, says: :" To be
in any degree happy we must be free from
pain both Of body and mind; to be very
happy, we must be in the enjoyment Of lively
sensations Of pleasure either Of body or
mind" We cannot he always in ecstacy.
We have three grades Of experience: happi-
ness, felicity, bliss. Happiness is positive,
felicity comparative, bliss superlative. Hap
piness is the normal condition, the general
experience, the bread of life; felicity is des-
seTt bliss is a dainty.
The word happiness comes 10 us from the
Welsh root hap, which means chance. SO
the French verb harper, TO seize or catch, an
act which depends ON chance for success. A
happy man is fortunate one-a person OF
good luck. When a man haps on a good
!. c, when he happens to he in prosperity
is happy. When good comes 10 a man from
an unexpected source, or when he obtains it
from circumstances which he did not and
could not control, he has favorable hit or
hap, and is happy man. To be happy
simply means TO be lucky. We read Of Ruth
in the Bible: Her hap was to light on
part of the field belonging unto Boaz." A
horseshoe is the symbol Of this kind Of hap
piness.
Happiness may he physical, mental or
spiritual, temporal or eternal. Varies gives
23s opinions as TO that in which happiness
consists. There is much Of truth in Shak-
spere's theory of happiness, and yet it is low
and material. He says, II earn that j eat /;
get that i wear; envy no mans happiness;
glad Of other mems good; content with my
harm" An epicurean philosopher gives
this recipe for happiness: Keepgood humor
with You as an erer-present guest" The
heather CROPPED for a correct theory Of hap
piness, but failed TO find ii. A French
author asks this question: If You had so
years to live, how would you spend them SO
as to be perfectly happy below" He an
swers the question: "The first so as q
coquet, 80 more rs a General, and the rest
as Bishop" Ii is noticeable how men take
care that their last years be deyout. Some one
has said: Many run about after felicity,
like an absent-minded man hunting for his
hat while il is on his head or in his hand"
So the poet says:
Its NO in books, it's no in lear,
To make us truly bleSt;
II happiness have moi her seat
And center in the breast
We may be wise, or rich. or great,
But never can be blest"
Talleyrand asserted happiness consists in
hard heart and good stomach. But surely
the morals have some play in this matter.
A man impure, dishonest, unkind, cannot
be happy. Goodness is related 10 happiness.
We speak Of solid, satisfying contentment
is there much of happinessg Can there be
more? What is the difficulty? Christmas
has a lesson for New Year in the angelic
song peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men,
The year spreads out before us, like the
blank, spOtless leaves Of book. We are to
write our volume for 1887. Let us make it
history Of noble deeds, kind words, beneyo-
lent acts May il be the best year we ever
lived!
John Stuart Mill, in his autobiography,
furnishes our closing words:
Those only are happy n thought who have
their minds fixed some object other than their
own happiness; the happiness Of Others. on the
improvement Of mankind, some ART or
pursuit. followed moi a means. but itself an
ideal end. The enjOyments Of life (such was now
my theory are sufficient 10 make Il a pleasant
thing. when they taken pGssnnt. without
being made a principal Object. Once make Them
so. and teg fB,mediatelp fou 10 be iHsrioieni.
They will not bear a scrutniEing examination.
Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you
10 be TIE DUTY chance "a 10 treat not happi-
qcSs Dat end elacrnai 10 d, the purpose Of
tic. Lei yOur self-consciousness, your scrutiny.
your sclf-interTogatOn exhaust themselves thai
and 81 otherwise fortunately circumstAnoed. you
will inhale happiness with The air you breathe.
either foresiailing il ia imagination putting
il 10 flight by fatal questioning This theory now
! became the basis Of my philosophy Of life